Web Dynpro Development Component (DC)
What is a Web Dynpro DC?
Generally, a development component (short: DC) can be described both as a development and a build unit shared by a number of development objects, all of which are part of the software. DCs are closely integrated with the SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI) that offers some important services, such as source management and versioning, build dependencies, and transport capability.
In particular, a development component of the type Web Dynpro comprises - on the one hand - the actual Web Dynpro-specific developments, such as Web Dynpro components, models, component interfaces, views, and so on. On the other hand, it provides a storage buffer for certain DC metadata. This metadata, in turn, serves to define application relationships between different DCs.
A DC represents a well-defined interface to the outside world, while its interior life remains invisible. One DC can use another by referring to the public interfaces (so-called public parts) of other components. As a result of these characteristics, DCs form the basic reusable units of an application.
In this way, Web Dynpro DCs form the prerequisite for breaking up complex Web Dynpro applications into individual components separated by function.
For example, model objects that belong to an application scenario could be grouped together in a DC. Such a model DC would only include model objects, but not any Web Dynpro components. Web Dynpro components that, in turn, use these objects and define the appropriate UI components, should then be in a separate DC.
In addition, they form a prerequisite for a development process that supports development within the team in an optimum manner.
In general, you will be involved in real development tasks that will require you to split up the work into several projects that also have clearly defined dependencies. In this case, the development tasks are split up amongst several developers or even several development teams (multi-user development).
Web Dynpro DCs and Projects
At the development environment level, you always work with projects. The Developer Studio treats Web Dynpro DCs as special projects - in this case as Web Dynpro DC projects. This means that a Web Dynpro DC is identified by exactly one project in the development environment. The project name is derived from the DC name as follows: <Development Configuration>~<Development Component>~<Vendor>.
Web Dynpro DC Project Structure
Unlike a Web Dynpro project (non-DC project), an additional meta data is available for the DC-based project. Here, you as the developer can specify all details that are especially relevant for handling DCs (used DCs, public parts, and so on).
Web Dynpro DCs and Web Dynpro Components
Despite the similarity in their names, Web Dynpro Development components are not to be confused with Web Dynpro components. These are entire separate units - both from a technical and a semantic point of view. Web Dynpro components are central modules of a development component and form the basis for finely granulated modularization along functions aspects within a Web Dynpro application. Both component types are only connected with each other in so far as DCs are containers that can include - in addition to Web Dynpro components - also other Web Dynpro entities.
It is also that a DC does not contain any Web Dynpro component. Instead, it contains only models or other units.
DCs, in turn, are always assigned to just one software component (SC). An SC groups together several DCs to a larger, deliverable software unit.
The associations between the different component types in the NWDI component model are displayed in the following graphic:
